Clarence Sexton has devoted his life to serving the Lord since 1967, and the world is yet to witness the full impact of his dedicated labor.
Married to Evelyn Rogers Sexton, they are proud parents of two grown sons: Shannon Sexton, married to Kristi, and Matt Sexton, married to Rhonda. The couple has been blessed with six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Throughout the opportunities granted by God, Clarence has strived to impart the teachings he received to faithful men and women “who shall be able to teach others also” (II Timothy 2:2).
Born on October 10, 1948, at Baptist Hospital in Selma, Alabama, Clarence was the eldest of four siblings: Tommy, Katherine, and Sheila. His early years were marked by frequent relocations, experiencing a total of nineteen moves before settling in Maryville, Tennessee, at the age of eight. Facing a turbulent family life, Clarence’s parents divorced when he was twelve, and tragically, his father, Preston Thomas Sexton, passed away on Easter Sunday morning two years later.
Raised by his single mother, Ruby Lee Sexton, who worked multiple jobs to support the family, Clarence became the de facto head of the household, caring for his siblings. In parallel, Mary Evelyn Rogers was born into the Rogers family in Maryville, Tennessee, on December 19, 1949. At the tender age of five, Evelyn lost her father, a Baptist preacher, in a car accident while visiting a grieving church family. Following this tragedy, she and her older brother Charles were lovingly raised by their godly mother, Lucille Rogers Caughron.
At the age of fourteen, Clarence started attending the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. During a Wednesday evening after a youth choir practice, the choir director, Don Brakebill, discerned that Clarence was not a Christian. Concerned for his salvation, Mr. Brakebill introduced him to the pastor, Dr. J. William Harbin. Shortly after, under Dr. Harbin’s guidance, Clarence Sexton embraced Christ as his personal Savior.
